How many times has the Nobel Prize in Literature not been awarded?

The Nobel Prize in Literature has not been awarded eight times.

The prize was omitted in 1914 and 1918 because of the First World War and its aftermath. It was also not awarded in 1935, when the Nobel Committee made no selection. During the Second World War, the Literature Prize was omitted in four consecutive years: 1940, 1941, 1942, and 1943.

These eight omissions are different from years when the prize was awarded later than usual or shared. Nobel rules allow a prize to be reserved for a later year, and some awards have been shared between two writers. Those cases do not add to the count of years in which no Literature Prize was awarded.

The Nobel Foundation began presenting the prizes in 1901. The interruptions therefore reflect exceptional historical circumstances rather than a regular schedule. Since 1944, the Literature Prize has been awarded annually, apart from any future decisions made under the Foundation’s rules.